MONSARAZ, PORTUGAL – 30 June 2025 – The silence was broken by cheers and the snap of camera shutters as nine European high school students stepped out of a simulated Mars environment in Portugal, successfully completing the first-of-its-kind EXPLORE analog mission. From 23 to 27 June 2025, these students from Austria, Greece, and Portugal traded their everyday lives for a challenging five-day immersion in an isolated, Mars-like landscape near Monsaraz, in the wilds of the Alentejo province.

A recent study involving researchers from the University of Basel reveals that slowing down the intracellular transport of RNA-based drugs can significantly enhance their effectiveness. These promising therapeutics are currently used to treat rare genetic diseases.

Northwestern Medicine scientists have developed an AI tool called iSeg that not only matches doctors in accurately outlining lung tumors on CT scans but can also identify areas that some doctors may miss, reports a large new study.

Pitt School of Medicine and La Jolla Institute for Immunology collaboration reveals an opportunity for developing a therapy against the leading infectious cause of birth defects in the United States.

Researchers at the Gray Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences at Tel Aviv University have developed a model that accurately replicates an extremely rare and sometimes fatal genetic disorder caused by a mutation in the GRIN2D gene. This mouse model allows the research team to study the disease’s characteristics and test a variety of drugs and genetic therapies, offering hope to affected children and their families.